"There's my favorite girl." Xander said, coming to sit down next to Amy on the floor. It was nearing the early hours of the morning and Amy had a hard time sleeping, so she'd climbed out of bed and was sitting in front of the kitchen windows looking at the city. A glass of warm milk was placed down by her feet followed by her forgotten sketch book.
"Hi." Amy said, scooting over so he could sit down next to her.
"What're you doing up?" He asked, snatching a bag of cookies off the table to snack on.
"I couldn't sleep." Amy responded, thrumming her fingers against the ground.
"Missing Laurie?" He teased, nudging her with a cheeky smile.
Amy narrowed her eyes at him, but sighed and nodded. A week after Laurie's confessions and grand gestures, it was time he'd gone back to the real world and his grandfather called him home. While it was true he conconvinced his grandfather to let him complete his internship in Europe, he was still expected to travel between the continents for business. Part of Laurie's new perspective on life was making sure he did right by himself and took responsibility. So he obliged and was on a flight home the next day.
"Don't." Amy said blankly.
"You could always call him, Amy." Xander sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear for her.
"No, I can't." Amy retorted, crossing her arms indignantly.
When Laurie had left to go back to America, he did ask Amy to come home with him and Amy, while she did want to go, ended up declining. The only issue that was causing her to be hesitant was their families. Jo still wasn't speaking to Laurie, nor had she spoken to him in nearly five years. Everyone in the March family had some varying knowledge of what had happened between Jo and Laurie, and it was clear that the topic was one to be avoided.
Amy also knew that everyone in the family thought Laurie was still in love with Jo, that he was changing his life for her , that he was still waiting for her to forgive him. Meg had even voiced it when Amy had last gone home.
What Amy hadn't been expecting was the conflicting opinions both her and Laurie apparently had when it came to what information they were and weren't sharing with their families. Amy had assumed they weren't going to say anything, that it was a silent agreement like it had been when they found each other again in Europe, even though she wasn't sure why it still felt like a secret. Like it had been when she decided to stay with him during Christmas. Like it had been when they had both gone home and weren't speaking to each other.
It wasn't as if she wanted to hide her relationship from her family, but there were a lot of complications that came with telling them, and if Amy was honest with herself. There was a shadow of doubt that her and Laurie really only worked because they were so far away from home. But nothing could ever be easy between them, or it wouldn't last at least.
She kept replaying their last conversation over and over in her mind right before Laurie had left for Concord.
They'd been laying on his balcony, a pile of blankets and pillows beneath them as the soft Paris breeze settled over them nicely and the sounds of the city created a melodic tune. Their hands were nestled between them, Amy tracing a sketch of herself into his palm with her finger.
"My grandfather called, he said I've taken enough time off and I need to come home." Laurie had mentioned absentmindedly but they both knew his grandfather only called to ensure Laurie was staying true to his commitments and going to fulfil his responsibilities. Afterall, they were the two people who knew how alluring Europe could be.
"When do you leave?" Amy asked, her movements stopping abruptly so she could turn to look him in the eyes.
"Two days." He answered, turning to face her and brushing a stray curl from her face. She closed her eyes and tried to memorize the feeling of his warmth, the security it brought her.
"Two days." Amy repeated. Amy and Laurie hadn't exactly talked in-depth about what they were, nor what kind of future they were going to have. She knew she wanted one with him though, all thoughts of her unsteady future that she'd been worried about were replaced with dreams of Laurie and what their life could be.
"Would you come home with me, Raphaella?" He asked calmly.
Amy turned her head softly and for a moment she wanted to say yes. But going home would have been complicated. Her family was there, so was his, they'd have to tell Jo. All her insecurities were edging at the back of her mind and that was why she'd declined his offer.
"I couldn't." Amy offered weakly.
"You're not ready to tell everyone." He stated softly, no anger or accusation in his tone, but it was clear he was upset by her refusal.
"What would we even tell them?" She had asked, sitting up to rest her head over her knees, knowing her Aunt March would never approve of such an unladylike position. Then again, her life had taken such a turn that her Aunt March approved of very little lately.
"That I love you." He responded simply. He gave her such a genuine smile, but it was laced with other clouded emotions.
"And Jo?" Amy prodded lightly.
"I haven't spoken to Jo in years, Amy." He said, sitting up and leaned his forehead down to touch her shoulder. She sighed contently with his familiarity.
"Maybe it's best we wait." She said softly. "When Bethy is better, and you're done with your internship."
"You don't want to tell them?" He asked, but it didn't sound like a question.
She did. She had been in love with him her whole life and he loved her back. There was nothing more she wanted to do than tell her family, but love wasn't enough in Concord. Not when her family valued morality, selflessness, and charity above all. Telling her family that her and Laurie were together seemed selfish.
In the sense that while the rest of her family was back home working and taking care of each other, she was in Europe, breaking all the promises she'd made and loving the boy who indirectly caused her sister to run away.
Which also brought Amy to the Jo of it all. Laurie was in no way to blame for Jo leaving. She would've left no matter what, gone off to fulfil her dreams and make something of herself. But that didn't change the fact that her and Laurie were complicated. Complicated enough that Jo and Laurie avoided coming home so they wouldn't have to face each other, putting the rest of the family between them.
"Would it be right, Laurie?" Amy asked, her tone soft and almost guilty.
"It wouldn't be wrong." He responded, his tone with her was soft and soothing always, but that didn't mean she couldn't hear the slight change in his emotion. "I'll be back in Europe in two weeks."
It was three weeks later and Laurie hadn't come back.
"Happy birthday!" Charlotte, Gabby, and Dominique exclaimed as they burst into Amy's room in unison. Christian, William, Elijah behind them, while Xander took the lead, holding a large cupcake the size of a three tiered cake. Her name was written in a fancy script and there were sparkling candles emitting dangerously close to her face.
Amy's heart fluttered with happiness as all her friends crowded themselves around her bed and sang her a very off tuned version of the generic birthday song, Xander singing the loudest while Lottie sang the prettiest, and each of the other boys singing at their own pace.
"Make a wish, Chérie." Christian prompted her when his and Elijah's slow rendition of the tune faded out.
Amy smiled sweetly and closed her eyes, blowing out the candles as her friends cheered around her.
"What did you wish for?" Dominique asked, batting her eyelashes prettily.
Amy pursed her lips. "If I tell you, it'll never come true."
"I bet I could take a guess." A voice responded from her doorway. Amy's head snapped up at the sound of the voice, and Laurie was standing in her doorway with a wrapped present and a large bouquet of white camellias. "To be the best painter in the world?"
"Laurie?" Amy whispered. Two days before, he'd sent her a text, cause he didn't want to call her, probably for the same reasons she didn't want to pick up the phone and call him either. He had ended up telling her that he would be coming back to Paris the weekend after her birthday, and she'd been upset that he would miss it, but understood he had other obligations. After all, part of what she wanted for him was to make a change.
"You didn't think I would miss your birthday, did you?" He asked, setting her gifts down and making his way through their crowd of friends to her.
Amy threw her arms around his neck and placed a sweet kiss on his lips, indulging herself in the fact that she could. "I missed you."
"I missed you too." Laurie whispered, touching her forehead with his, he smelled like Concord layered beneath his own affluent scent. Even if there was still the slightest tension between them over their disagreement about their families, they were still Laurie and Amy, and they would always be able to fall right back into each other.
"And I missed you." Xander cut in, throwing his arms around both of them.
"Can you give me a minute alone with my girl?" Laurie laughed, but nonetheless hugged Xander back. Everyone quickly filed out of the room in a mass of limbs and loud goodbyes and birthday wishes, or in Gabby's case, a sharp glare in Laurie's direction. It wasn't as if she hated him, but Gabby wasn't one to forgive and forget. Especially on the behalf of her friends.
"I thought you weren't going to be here till next week?" Amy whispered, thrumming her fingers against the back of his neck as soon as the door shut. A quiet silence over taking them.
"I wanted it to be a surprise." Laurie responded, running his fingers across her jaw. "I also wanted to say I'm sorry."
"For what?" Amy prodded, but she knew. She also wasn't sure if he should've been the one to apologize either though.
"I shouldn't have asked you to come home with me, that wasn't fair." Laurie sighed, stepping away from her and pulling the curtains of her windows open. He leaned against the frame of her windowsill and smiled softly, and Amy knew it was because he missed his life in Europe. But something about the way he acted and the way he treated her, told her that he was benefiting from his life back in Concord.
Amy walked over to him and tucked herself against the window sill between him and the frame, the warm Paris sun settling over her nicely. It still shocked her sometimes, when she and Laurie were like this. They'd never been terribly affectionate, that was always reserved for Jo, but now that things were different, they were different, it was a sweet thought to know he would be there to hold her.
"Maybe I should've said yes." Amy finally responded, sighing contently as he nudged her slightly forward and sat down behind her, his chest pressed up against her back.
"Except I think you were right." Laurie told her softly, grabbing a blanket and draping it across the two of them. "When I was back in Concord, the others weren't so subtle in asking me about Jo, wondering when we were gonna start talking again."
"What did you tell them?" Amy asked.
"That it was up to Jo." Laurie responded. "I went home, I stopped avoiding everyone and my responsibilities. It's up to her if she wants to come back and do the same."
"Do you miss her?" Amy asked, but she already knew the answer.
"Of course, she's my best friend." Laurie sighed, running a hand through her curls.
"Maybe you should call her then, Laurie." Amy suggested quietly, like saying them any louder would scare him, maybe they already did.
He looked down at her questioningly. "Your sister's stubborn, more so than anyone in your family. If she hasn't made the choice to speak to me herself, she won't want to hear from me at all."
Amy turned around, leaning away from Laurie when he playfully tugged on the end of one of her curls. "So where does that leave us?"
"Does Jo really have to change anything between us?" Laurie asked her.
"As much as both of us would like to think it's simple enough to just tell our families, it's not." Amy said, her tone slightly irritated, not with Laurie though.
She's long since stopped being jealous of Jo and thinking that Laurie was in love with her. That wasn't the issue between them anymore. The issue was how their families were going to react. Well more so hers than his grandfather. Truth be told, old Mr. Laurance had an affinity for Amy just after his favoritism of Beth. But there was a lot of history between Laurie and Jo, almost too much.
"Are you afraid that if we tell them, everything will change?" Laurie whispered. Amy flinched because it was true, she'd never had the heart to say it outloud though.
"Is it such an irrational thought?" Amy questioned back. Amy didn't have an answer to her own question, and it seemed like Laurie didn't either.
"Aunt March?" Amy called out softly, instinctively adjusting her dress to smooth out the wrinkles and unflattering creases. Her aunt had just flown in from Concord and immediately invited Amy over for brunch. Amy knew part of the impromptu visit was to ensure Amy was staying on track with her future, but also because she missed her niece. Seeing as Amy was the only one who really visited Aunt March with the intent to keep the old woman company.
"Amy, dear, come in." Her aunt prompted, and Amy obliged, nodding in greeting to her Aunt because she knew how the old woman felt about being kissed. "How are you?"
"I'm wonderful, Aunt March." Amy said genuinely. "I'm on track with my studies, I'm getting better at my French, and I have a job working at the Louvre."
"That's all very nice, Amy." Her aunt nodded stiffly. "I spoke to Fred's mother the other day, she informed me that he's taking over his father's business soon."
"Really." Amy said politely, ignoring her aunt's insinuations. "I didn't know."
"I really don't understand what happened between you two." Her Aunt March said offhandedly while pouring herself more tea. "He was perfect for your future, Amy. He's a good man, from a good family, and he was good for you."
"I just didn't love him, Aunt March, not like I should." Amy said softly, refusing to meet her Aunt's eyes. She knew her aunt was disappointed in her, and Amy didn't do disappointment well. Her aunt had given her everything Amy could've ever asked for. She paid for Europe, for school, and even things that weren't for Amy. Like Meg's wedding. Not just that, but she had grasped onto the parts of Amy that set her apart from her sisters and nourished them until she was exactly the kind of pretty, perfect socialite to support her family.
"Love." Said with all disdain of a woman who fought to maintain her place in high society. "What your father married your mother for. What Meg married that man for." Her Aunt scoffed. "Where has that left them, Amy? Your mother travels for her work and your sisters and you were brought up by each other. Your father works tirelessly. The same will happen to Meg."
"They're happy, I grew up loved and safe. It's not a bad life, Aunt March." Amy defended weakly. While she cared deeply for her aunt, there was a point at which Amy didn't appreciate her Aunt's constant berating about her family's status.
"It's not, my dear." Aunt March said softly, patting Amy's hand. Amy sighed, almost feeling guilty because her aunt had given her everything and nothing she said was meant with the intent to hurt Amy. "I just want more for you."
"I appreciate you, Aunt March." Amy said with a smile in a rare moment of the closest thing her aunt got to affection.
"Eat, Amy, I didn't have all this food prepared to go to waste." Aunt March responded stiffly, but she could hear the amusement and affection hidden in her undertones.
Amy hadn't realized when it had happened, but she felt a strange sense of peace in Europe that she didn't feel in Concord. Surrounded by her friends and their laughter. Back in Concord she was held to a different standard, she had more responsibilities, things between her and Laurie were skewed. In Paris, there was no judgement, and she had a different kind of clarity about her life.
With Laurie back in Europe for the remainder of July, everyone decided to come back to the estate and stay for the week, which inevitably turned into almost three. Xander was ecstatic about it of course, with his best friend back in the same country, and decided they had to have a very formal dinner despite it only including the nine of them.
So they all obliged, unable to deny Xander's eccentric nature.
Amy had picked out a baby blue silk gown with a sash around her waist, all pretty fabric that moved when she did.
"Aren't you a sight?" Laurie's smooth voice called from her doorway, his stature leaning elegantly against the frame. He was also dressed very well as per Xander's request, in a dark colored suit, a white button up, and his matching jacket thrown over his arm.
Amy turned around and smiled softly, slipping a matching ring onto her finger. "Zip me up, will you?"
He nodded softly, draping his jacket over the end of her vanity chair and coming up behind her. He slowly dragged the zipper up and let his fingers brush against her bare skin. She visibly leaned into his touch for a moment before adding a bracelet to her outfit. Once the zipper was done up, he tied the sash around her waist into a pretty bow and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against him.
"Reminds me of the time you asked me to undo your smock." He muttered softly. "You asked me if you looked alright and-"
"You said I was beautiful." Amy whispered, leaning her head back into the crook of his neck. "I remember too."
He dropped a sweet kiss to her shoulder before pulling her out the door and snagging his jacket off the end of the chair. "Come on, if we're late we'll never hear the end of it from Xander."
They were in fact early, well as early as you could get when they only had to walk down the stairs. The only other people there were Xander and Charlotte, the former dressed in a nice suit, but with gold accents, and the latter dressed in a pretty pastel purple gown with golden jewels.
"You made it!" Xander exclaimed, greeting Laurie with a hug and pulling Amy in to kiss both her cheeks.
"Of course we did." Amy laughed, playing along with the act. She liked to pretend just as Xander did, it was always Laurie that would never indulge them, and that's why Laurie claimed Xander always liked her more than him. Maybe it was true, maybe it wasn't.
"I don't understand why we had to dress up to eat dinner." Gabby complained as she walked down the stairs. Despite her complaining, she looked very pretty in a black floor length gown, just as lethal and intimidating as she was. Christian was beside her, his white hair a stark contrast to the black suit he was wearing.
"Complain all you want," Dominique muttered as she, Elijah, and William all trailed down the stairs after Gabby. "I happen to think it was a fabulous idea and we all look stunning."
Of course, Dominique was in her very own league of beauty, looking as if she stepped out of a regency era painting, possessing the same unobtainable elegance in her champagne colored gown.
Xander quickly shuffled them all over to the dining room, which had been decorated with shimmery curtains all reflecting off each other in the candle light. The table had an incredible spread of food and the combining smells were delicious.
It wasn't long before the wine had started flowing and all jackets, heels, and general uncomfortable clothing were discarded and they were laughing around the dining table, telling stories of their time apart.
"He's such a charmer." Dominique said, but her tone was both irritated and amused. She was recounting the story of how Elijah had met her family, and now she was convinced they liked him more than her. Her youngest sister especially, who had apparently developed a crush on Elijah.
"What harm is it to indulge the whims of a little girl, Mimi?" Elijah asked her, pressing a kiss to the top of her hand which he had yet to let go of all night, not that she minded.
"It's not about indulging her, I'm her older sister, I indulge her every whim." Dominique clarified. "It's that she only asks about you now, not me."
"How sad." Gabby offered dryly and Dominique only glared in her direction.
"She still loves you the most, Dominique." Charlotte interrupted the two as always.
"As the youngest sister of four, I can testify that it's true." Amy laughed, pouring herself another glass of wine, sighing as Laurie ran his fingers along her bare arms. At someone during the desert portion she had found herself leaning against him with her feet across her empty chair. "I may have fought with my sisters growing up, Jo especially, but I always wanted them to love and care for me like I did them." There was a lot to that statement. "I would've done anything for them."
"It's true." Laurie nodded, tracing patterns on her skin. "Like the ice skating incident."
Amy blushed and covered her face with her hands. "No, not that story."
"Ice skating incident?" William pried, everyone else was also peaked by the sudden comment and leaned forward. "Come now, you have to tell us."
"I was a vengeful little thing when I was younger." Amy admitted with a soft laugh, poking Laurie lightly when he agreed too enthusiastically. "I got into a fight with Jo and I burned her manuscript."
"Burned?" Christian repeated with a deep laugh. "And to think I thought Gabby was the dramatic one of you four." She slapped him with the back of her hand.
"One day Laurie took her ice skating, and I followed them hoping her good mood would sway her into forgiving me." Amy recounted, leaving out most of the details. "The ice broke and I fell through."
"I sent Jo to get help, but the current had Amy." Laurie muttered, his tone void of emotion, but there was a glint of regret in his eyes.
"Laurie punched his way through the ice and saved my life." Amy said, unconsciously tracing the faded scar where her ice skate had sliced through her skin. She didn't stop until Laurie had taken hold of her hand and steadied it.
"We spent the night in the hospital getting stitches and I had to get my hand wrapped." Laurie laughed, reminiscing the memories of the nurse who had been completely flustered by the March family as soon as they'd arrived.
"And that is also why I never ice skate." Amy concluded, waving her hands dramatically.
"I remember that." Xander said, probably the most drunk of them all. "You painted his cast, didn't you? It was a-"
"It was a portrait of me." Laurie finished for him. Xander simply smiled and winked in Laurie's direction.
A sharp ring snapped their attention away from the low lit dinner, and they all turned their heads to the source of the noise, Amy's phone.
"Excuse me." She said politely, leaving the dining room to take the call. It was her Aunt March, and based purely on the fact that it was so late should've told Amy something was wrong. "Hello?"
"Hello, is this Amy March?" An unfamiliar voice sounded from the other end. "I have some concerning news about your aunt."
"How is she?" Amy asked the doctor as soon as she was within range, Laurie close behind her. Apparently her aunt had fainted. The doctor had been called immediately and it was clear in her old age, Aunt March wasn't doing so well. Of course, her aunt had refused to go to the hospital unless necessary and a doctor was called to the estate. With Amy as the only family close enough to be by her side, the doctor had called her and informed her of Aunt March's poor health. Laurie offered to drive her automatically and the two were gone.
"She's just fine for now, resting." The doctor informed Amy. "The good news is that there's no highly concerning health issues. It's just nature running its course."
"Go ahead and see her, Amy." Laurie said softly, lightly pushing her in the direction of Aunt March's bedroom. "I can talk to the doctor."
"Thank you." Amy said, kissing his cheek lightly and letting herself into Aunt March's room as a maid left. "Hello?"
"Amy, dear, is that you?" The old woman called back, and it almost worried Amy how unnaturally demure she sounded. "Come in."
"Are you alright?" Amy asked worriedly, sitting by her Aunt's bedside.
"Of course." She responded stubbornly, turning her head with an eye roll. "No need to bother with all the theatrics."
"I see that you're doing fine." Amy laughed lightly, the stubbornness a comforting familiarity.
"Did I inconvenience you, dear? You look quite lovely." Her Aunt asked, eyeing Amy's baby blue gown.
"Oh no." Amy reassured her, waving her off with a soft smile. "Just a formal dinner with my friends."
"And the jacket?" Her aunt pointed out, her tone accusatory and knowing.
Amy looked down and realized that she did in fact have Laurie's suit jacket draped across her shoulders. He must've given it to her at some point and she hadn't noticed in her panic. "It's Laurie's."
"I see." Her aunt pursed her lips.
"It's Laurie." Amy repeated affectionately with a soft smile. Her Aunt had always had conflicting feelings about Laurie. While he was the epitome of everything her Aunt had wanted for Amy, she was also sorely disappointed by his actions during his estrangement from Jo.
"I know." Her aunt emphasized, sending Amy a look with a distinctive eye roll. "I understand what happened between you and Fred Vauhgn now." Her aunt said bluntly, unable to conceal the slight upturn of her lip. "I've heard that the Laurence boy is working for his grandfather."
"He is." Amy nodded. "He's finishing his internship here."
"Yet I presume work is not his only reason for being in Europe?" Aunt March speculated.
"Would you be disappointed?" Amy asked hesitantly.
"No, dear." She responded, patting the top of Amy's hand. "I've always seen the way you look at that boy."
The estate in Paris had slowly become filled to capacity with all of Laurie and Amy's friends, who technically all had their own places, but unofficially all migrated and lived in the estate at this point. While it was the epitome of the young-free spirited cliche, to live in a foregin country with their friends, it tended to get a little overbearing. Especially when none of them possessed any concept of a boundary.
It wasn't a huge deal to either Amy or Laurie, growing up in the March household meant her sisters and Hannah were always invading their personal space, but at some point they didn't need everyone privy to their conversations.
Amy, who had actually lived in the March household, tended to hold her own against their nosy friends, but Laurie always had his own house to escape too when it got too overbearing. Which was why Laurie had decided they needed the weekend alone after Gabby and Dominique unceremoniously barged into their room demanding Amy help them settle an argument, of course not that it was an unusual occurrence.
And so, Laurie suggested they spend the weekend at his apartment. Which really his grandfather insisted he have despite the fact that he spent all his time at the estate. Amy was sure he was thankful for it now, having a place to hide away for a while.
The apartment was on the top floor of an old building and Amy claimed it was some of the prettiest architecture she'd ever seen in her life. Upon entering the private elevator that led to the penthouse, Amy preened on and on about the caricatures and paintings found throughout the building. The apartment, which was really a penthouse suite, was quite a contrast to the dark colors of the estate. The walls were white and all the furniture was a shade of beige or brown, Amy decided she liked it. While simple, it was very much the way she saw Laurie, elegant and layered.
He'd given her a tour of the penthouse, showing her the three bedrooms that had hardly ever been occupied, the study, the small library Amy was sure Jo would've loved, the kitchen, and the living room. There was also a dining room and a sunroom which were separated by a wall and both led to a balcony that wrapped around the outside of the building. But what really caught her eye was the artwork. She'd assumed the place had been furnished by his grandfather, and with that meant old paintings worth more than Amy could fathom, but instead they weren't worth anything at all, at least not in her opinion, because she was the artist.
The entryway had a painting she'd done for Laurie's grandfather the year before for his birthday. The living had framed sketches from her old books that she was sure Laurie had discarded when she'd left them in his room. Some were of her, some her sisters, her parents, and of course her infamous sketch of Laurie at the beach. The dining room had a large painting of their friends she'd done on a whim during a late night of inspiration. The penthouse was filled with paintings and drawings she'd done, all of their memories from Concord and Paris.
"Is it alright, Raphaella, maybe I should've asked first?" Laurie questioned hesitantly, noting her silence as she observed a painting above Laurie's bed in the master bedroom, it was the view of Paris from Laurie's balcony.
In a way it was her dream. Seeing her artwork mean something to someone, seeing them appreciate it and hoping they elicited the same feelings she had when she'd painted them
"No, no, I just wasn't expecting it." Amy said, turning around and leaning into his grasp. "The walls could be filled with much better artists."
"But no other artist knows my life as you do." Laurie reminded her, and it was true. The walls told stories of their life in Concord, the beauty she saw in him, the distraught pain during his estrangement from Amy, their life in Paris.
So they spent the weekend together, talking late into the afternoon, sheets haphazardly draped across them. Eating dinner in low candle lights, only to end up back in bed. It was easy to forget about reality, until it started catching up with them early on Sunday morning.
"I think I might study something else next year." Amy sighed that morning, her head tucked against Laurie's shoulder with their legs intertwined as he drew lazy circles onto her skin.
"Change your major?" He questioned, looking down at her with an intense gaze he reserved just for her. "Why?"
"I love art." Amy said simply. "But, I just haven't been able to create anything that would make me a great artist. Someone people would know and remember."
"Amy," he said softly, turning on his side to look her straight in the eye, hands tangled together, "you're the most amazing artist I've ever known."
"You have to say that to me." She deadpanned, rolling onto her back and throwing her arms down in a huff. "I don't just want to be mediocre. I want to be great or nothing. There will not be an in between."
"My darling Raphaella, even if I am just one man, I think of you the greatest painter in the world." He whispered, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her flush against his body, his lips pressed against her forehead.
Something about the way Laurie made her feel, the way his lips felt, the way he said pretty words, coaxed such a peculiar feeling out of her. When she was younger, she'd always felt a sense of awe that could only come from a school girl crush, but it was different now that they'd grown up. He loved her the same way she'd always wanted to be loved, and every part of her felt the certainty and safety that came with it.
Before Amy could come up with any kind of response to Laurie's romantically clouded musings that made her heart flutter, her phone began to ring incessantly.
"Ignore it." Laurie said, placing kisses along her jaw. "It's probably just Lottie calling to see when we're coming for dinner."
"I always feel bad about ignoring Lottie's calls." Amy laughed, tapping Laurie's cheek before grabbing her phone.
"Fine." He said exasperatedly and dramatically threw off the covers. "I'm going to take a shower, and you're then welcome to join me."
"Go." Amy laughed, tossing a pillow at him. He leaned down and kissed her cheek before disappearing inside the ensuite. Amy returned to her ringing phone, and a quick glance told her that it was not in fact Charlotte, but an incoming video call from her mother. Amy cursed under her breath and quickly pulled up hair into an updo, a skill she learned from Aunt March, and threw a sweatshirt over her head, hoping her mother wouldn't notice it belonged to Laurie.
"Amy!" Her mother exclaimed as soon as she'd answered the call. "How are you, my darling?"
"Hi, Marmee." Amy smiled, waving at her mother. "I'm good, tired."
"Did I wake you?" Her mother asked worriedly.
"No, no." Amy reassured her. "I've been up for a while."
"Is that Amy?" She heard the distant voices of her oldest and third oldest sisters' call out before both appeared in the frame.
"Meg, Beth!" She smiled, a feeling of relief settling over her that could only come from one's siblings. "Not that I don't love hearing from you, but is something wrong?"
"No, no, my darling." Her mother assured her. "In fact we have some exciting news!"
"Another baby, Meg?" Amy's eyes sparkled as her sister's eyes widened.
"Fortunately not." Meg laughed. "Daisy and Demi are already a lot, I doubt John and I are ready for another baby."
"Amy, where are you?" Beth asked, staring at the unfamiliar surroundings. Beth happened to be the sister that Amy called the most. Meg happened to usually be busy with her children and her husband, while Jo and Amy tended to argue more than anything. So it didn't surprise Amy that Beth eventually noticed that she wasn't in the estate.
Amy was also at a loss for a response. Her and Laurie still hadn't mentioned anything to their families, and Amy was sure it wasn't the right time to tell them, dressed in nothing but his sweatshirt. At most, her family knew they'd seen each other occasionally, not that they practically lived together.
"Oh, I'm-" Amy's short stuttering was cut off by Laurie's abrupt entrance.
"Raphaella, do you want any coffee?" He asked, thankfully wearing pants at least, using a towel to dry his curls.
"Laurie, I'm on the phone with Marmee, Meg, and Beth." She smiled tightly, and he swerved around, matching the panicked expression in her eyes.
"Laurie's there?" Her mother exclaimed excitedly. "Come over here and say hello, young man!"
Laurie obliged, quickly pulling a shirt over his head and appeared on the screen. "Hello, Marmee, Meg, Beth."
"Oh, how are you? We haven't seen you for almost two months." Marmee reprimanded him lightly.
"I'm good." He reassured her. "Busy with work."
"I never thought I'd see the day you become a workaholic." Meg commented, eyeing them both.
"Not a workaholic yet." Laurie diagreed. "Just focusing on my internship right now."
"I didn't know you and Amy were spending time together in Paris?" Beth questioned.
"We happened to run into each other this morning and I invited her over for a late breakfast." Laurie lied smoothly. Probably due to years of coming up with excuses for his grandfather, and all the trouble he and his friends got up to in high school. It also helped that he was always able to sweet talk her mother.
"Oh, that's relieving." Marmee sighed, clasping her hands. "I'm glad the two of you have each other, it calms my heart to know my children aren't alone."
"You said you had news, Marmee?" Amy laughed, waving off her mother's amusing expression.
"Oh yes!" Meg exclaimed. "Amy guess what?"
"Father's coming home!" Beth interrupted, her tone while sweet and light as usual, was loud in a rare moment of absolute happiness.
"My darling, is there any way you could come home? You too, Laurie? It's been so long since the whole family's been together." Marmee asked, pleading with them with her eyes and they both knew she was using her motherly tone to coax them into agreeing, not that either of them needed it.
Amy threw her arms around Laurie in a bout of excitement. "Of course, Marmee, we'll be on the first flight home!"
"Are you sure you both have to go back to Concord?" Xander sighed exasperatedly, draping himself across Charlotte's lap and sending her a devastated look. "Lottie, they're both leaving, what kind of friends are they?" She didn't look phased at all and simply patted his head childishly.
"It's only for the week, Xander." Amy reminded him, looking over her papers for her next semester of school. "Then I'll be back in Paris."
"Hey, what about the rest of us?" William complained. "We'll still be here."
"Besides, at least we won't have to witness their sickeningly sweet relationship." Gabby offered. "What real couple dances on their balcony, that only happens in the movies."
"The romantic kind, Cherie." Christian interrupted her. "Laurie's a natural born European heartbreaker, and our Amy is a French beauty at heart."
"We have to leave soon if we're gonna catch our flight, Amy." Laurie interrupted. Walking down the stairs carrying both his and Amy's bags.
And so the pair of them were paraded off to the airport with all their friends behind them. The seven of them stood just before the security line and waved them off until Amy and Laurie were out of sight. Amy had enough money that she'd saved up from working at the Louvre and not having to pay rent and bought a plane ticket as she'd promised her mother. Laurie, happy to return home for Mr. March's long awaited return, also had business to attend to with his grandfather, and it wouldn't have made sense for them to leave separately.
Laurie did offer to pay for Amy's travel expenses, and she knew that he would've upgraded them to first class or whatever over the top upgrade was after that, but Amy refused. She spent a lot of time in Europe thinking she was going to have to rely on someone else to support her life and her family, but part of her epiphany was being self-sufficient. And not that she had asked, but Laurie understood where she was coming from and booked the economy seat right next to her.
"What will we tell them?" Amy asked softly, looking out at the clouds from her window. "About us I mean."
"I don't think we should tell them anything, at least not yet." Laurie offered. "My grandfather called and told me Jo was home too. I don't want to risk making the whole week awkward with your father home. You should all be able to spend time with him as a family."
If Amy was being honest with herself, she agreed with Laurie. Her father coming home was rare and she hadn't seen her family in months. She just wanted the week to spend time with them and for it to feel like what her life was like before Meg had been married, Jo had moved away, and Beth had gotten sick.
"Are you going to talk to Jo?" Amy asked. "Or are you going to avoid coming over?"
"I've thought about it." Laurie shrugged, trailing his fingers down Amy's knee. "I would like to talk to her, but we'll see what she wants."
"She's still your best friend, Laurie, that's never going to change." Amy reminded him softly. "And even then, you're still family, don't think your strained relationship with Jo changes anything about that."
Laurie smiled down at her with such elegance and something Amy couldn't quite place, and twirled a blond curl around his finger. "I love you, Raphaella."
"And I love you." Amy responded with a sweet kiss to his cheek. He simply leaned over and pressed his lips against her forehead.